Banshee's call
by Mr Migerk
Summary: It's the year 2031 and the Eritrean government has collapsed the UN has inserted peace keeping forces the nearby neighbors of Ethiopia and Iran have entered the country and a democratic revolution has just arose. The perfect scenario for a merc
1. Inroductiory Breif

Situation

**Brief****:**

Brief:

In the year 2015 an sleeper cell in the defeated Eritrean Liberation Front assassinated President Isaias Afewerki and attempted to rise to power. The coup failed but the assassination didn't leaving the country in anarchy for a long stretch of four years. In 2019 a military leader, Yahsim Harufati, brought about an organized military and quelled all the current warring parties. A Dictatorship was instated and for a few years there was peace. In 2023 a Marxist revolution rose up and was utterly demolished by the government, thousands were dead the country left in a shaky state of balance. The balance was tipped and shattered in 2029 by the rise of the Peoples Democratic Liberation Front of Eritrea lead by a French school teacher Luke Boulevard, this revolution was incredibly successful due to the organization and educated state of the PeDLiFE and the fierce leadership of Luke Boulevard. Now at this point the US had not gotten involved due to the US government adding Eritrea to its list of rogue states, along with Iran, North Korea and Cuba. In 2030 the UN inserted peace keeping forces into the country to try and rebuild the state. One year after the initial insertion the UN is trying to cut back of troop casualties with the use of Privet Military Companies and privet contractors. ExOps was one of these PMCs.

**Agent info**:

Alexander Sergey Drnovic (aka Alec)

DOB: October 14, 2000

Weight: 168 lbs.

Height: 6' 0"

Sex: male

Birthplace: Leningrad, Russia

Background: SNIPER/INFILTRATIONS SPECIALIST

Alec was born in Russia in the year 2000 and moved to the US at age 6. His father had died from lung cancer and his mother had decided to send Alec to live with his aunt and uncle in Dallas, Texas.

He ran away from home at the age of fourteen and lived on the streets. He was picked up by the police in California for fighting and sent to a juvenile correction facility. He was given a way out from a judge. The judge forced him to take the SAT's and his high marks were enough for a full scholarship to Army College(after passing the necessary high school courses) and graduated with honors, served in the 76th rangers during the 2023 insertion of Columbia. From the beginning of his military career he showed an aptitude for sharp shooting and stealth infiltration. And quickly accelerated threw the ranks making sergeant in a year.

He was a notoriously intelligent leader and his soldiers found his cynicism and sarcasm a welcome relief to the atrocity of war.

His military career ended in 2026 when his whole squad was killed in a car bombing. Alec was wounded with an 8" piece of shrapnel in his left shoulder. The wound left his left arm useless for 4 years but threw physical therapy he over came the debilitating injury. He left the military began his career with ExOps soon after.

Blaming himself for the death of his men in 2026 as a result will not work in a team for ExOps. It took much coercion to convince him to work in a pair for this assignment. Along with refusing to work in a team self blame has caused him to disregard his own safety and the safety of those around him. As for his partner, he'll just have to deal with it. Alec is an outstanding prospect but has never been used in the field for ExOps and we don't know how he will act. Consider this a trail period.

Strengths:

Stealthy: Accomplishes missions discreetly and quietly

Sharpshooter:6th best in the world/Comfortable with every sniping weapon know to man, deadly with most

Agile: Is trained as an gymnast, parkour runner, and infiltration specialist

Unarmed combat: knife fighting specialist

Liabilities:

Untrusting: Has yet to build trust with ExOps

Solo: Not good in a team/prefers to work alone

Cynical: Mocking towards customers/Pessimistic

Insane: no regard for his own life or safety(may be an asset)

he was 8th but the 7th, Corporal Evert Gray (US Marine Corps), died in the '23 insertion of Columbia and he killed Major Demetrius Cilzorkian (Spetznas), the 6th

**Agent info**:

Jeremy Damian Cost

DOB: August 1, 1992

Weight: 210

Height: 6'3"

Sex: male

Birthplace: Kinsale, Ireland

Background: SAW GUNNER/OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

Jeremy grew up as the third of five children in a middle class Irish family. He lived a small town life and when threw local public schooling. As a child he was always an athlete not a scholar, he was not dumb just not book smart, after failing out of high school he spent a few years working as a mechanic in his father's friend's shop. He soon grew bored of his small town life and he wanted to see the world in anyway he could. That way was presented to him threw the royal navy. He served one year and was commended for his bravery on multiple accounts and was a key member of the protection from the terrorist assault of the Iranian royal palace. With these accommodations he joined the royal marines and after four years with them he signed up for the special air service. Being one of the only two members of his class to pass the training for the SAS Jeremy became a member of one of the most elite Special Forces in the world. He served for 6 years in the SAS and then retired at the age of 31. Jeremy went from job to job for the next two years until ExOps offered him employment he has been one of our most valuable assets for the past five years and has proven his worth in theaters such as Columbia, Iran, and Russia.

His great leadership skills and his ability to work well with others have lead him to be chosen as Alec's teammate and superior.

Strengths:

reliable: has proven himself to be a invaluable asset in past theaters

efficient: gets the job done

Unarmed combat: tai jutsu specialist

Experienced: used to battle scenarios/mature

Liabilities:

Loud: likes to use explosions and large amounts of ammunition when not completely necessary

Aged: getting past his prime age for soldiering

Slow: not very agile or quick

Battle field statistics:


	2. Transmission 1:1 Insertion

Transmission 1.1: Insertion

The C52 Hercules cargo plane rumbled through the thin wispy clouds over the rolling dunes of the Sahara Desert. The early morning sun had just crested the horizon adding a splash of color to the unchanging landscape. The crisp night air was dissipating leaving a thin mist in the air. The barren landscape was changing slowly to the dry grassy plains of Eritrea.

The rear cabin was only illuminated by a small red jump light in the back and a small lantern hung in the front. Sitting on a munitions crate a slender young man of about thirty sat sharpening a long steel dagger. His head was shaven and small stubble had begun to grown upon it. His piercing dark eyes glared at his knife with an angst filled chill.

Adjacent to him a middle aged man leaned against a wall throwing a base ball across the cabin and letting it bounce back to him. He had a slightly corky grin on his weathered face, and his graying brown hair sat on his head in a shaggy mess with a Jeremy beard to match. His clear gray eyes shown calm maturity, contrasting the younger man's, which were showing a ferocious vigor.

An intercom crackled into life, "uh…bout twenty minutes till drop off boys may wanna get geared up."

The older man pushed a finger to his ear piece, "Rodger that," he threw the ball a last time and then sighed as he slowly rose to his feet.

"Ye gonna sit there all day, rookie?" the older man had a faded Irish accent, his R's were emphasized and his vowels molded together.

"Yeah, whatever, I'm getting up," the younger man said getting up, his voice was unmistakably American yet it had a slight Eastern European hint to it.

The two men walked to the rear of the cabin grabbing their heavily laden supply belts and wrapping them around their waists. Placing their helmets on their heads, they reached the rear their camouflaged fatigues bleached red by the jump light.

The younger man grabbed his SCAR(H CQC) rifle from the gun rack throwing the sling over his shoulder. He then grabbed the older man's SCAR and tossed it to him. They both loaded and cocked their weapons. The older man pulled a sawed off Benelli M4 off the rack while the other man grabbed a M110 SASS. The younger man checked his sights, the older checked his shotgun's muzzle feed.

The jump light turned green. The two men both reached out to the heavy switches on either side of the door. Pulling down in unison the door slowly groaned open, the pair was instantly struck with a blast of icy high altitude air. The younger man tilted his head both ways cracking his neck both times, the older looked over and raised an eyebrow behind his tinted mask. The younger shrugged and looked away. They both approached the edge of the door and leaned forward. The pair fell forwards out of the plane and into the open air.

They both flipped a few times to gain control of their fall. They then turned their bodies into darts and sped toward the earth.

Reading their altimeters they snapped out their limbs slowing down their decent they turned toward each other and linked arms. Their bodies fell toward the ground, as they each look at the other's wrist reading their altitude. They both began a mental count down 1700 feet, 1500 feet, 1300 feet, 1100 feet, 900 feet, 700 feet, and break. Their arms broke free of each other's and they leaned away from each other moving a safe distance then deploying their parachutes.

The duo floated down to earth landing seconds later in the middle of a deserted street in the city of Asmara. Instantly, when they hit the ground the two bundled up their parachutes and stuffed them in their jump packs with all their other HALO gear and dropped it in a nearby dumpster.

They heard the whistle of mortar fire from the distance and did not even flinch when it hit down about six blocks away causing the ground to shake. Then the building it hit collapsed. Slowly, almost painfully so, the foundation crumbled leaving a large dust cloud as a memorial.

The two soldiers simultaneously pulled their weapons up and snapped them into their shoulders. They crouched and began down the street the older man tapped his ear piece, "Team name banshee: member Jeremy Cost reporting in,"

The other man followed suit, "team name banshee: member Bravo Alec Drnovic reporting in,"

"Receiving you team banshee," A female voice answered over the comm. link, "I'll be your support operative on this opp., code name: Delta Tower but you can call me Fiona,"

"Read you, tower, heading toward rendezvous pint alpha, out." Cost said and cut the line.

"She sounded kinda cute," Alec said into the pairs two way communicator.

"Heh, she also sounded a little young for you," Jeremy replied sardonically.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean, I'm only thirty one," Alec replied with a sideways glance toward his partner.

"Yeah, but their getting younger and younger, those support operatives, they pluck em right out of college."

"Whatever gramps, you're the _senior _contractor here,"

Fiona's voice cut in, "Your know I can still here you idiots talking, and I'm 29,"

The comm. Line when dead after that Cost had just cut the transition, Alec chuckled victoriously. The two continued down the street using the GPS heads up display in their visors to find their way down the narrow and winding streets of the desert city. After a few twists and turns they found themselves on a main street. The pair crouched behind a small cement traffic barrier and surveyed the road before them.

"Cost, wanna risk the street, or take the alleyway other there," the previously mentioned alleyway was across the main street and threw the buildings on the street corner. The only reason Alec knew about this alternate route was the detailed satellite GPS his helmet received threw his PDA. Cost had the same hookup but was not as savvy with it as Alec.

"Let's be safe and take the alley," Cost replied after some thought.

"Alright I got your back, you go," Alec replied leveling his gun down the road and staring down the scope.

Cost took a deep breath then ran out onto the street crouched low. He bolted across the strip of pavement and dove behind the carcass of a car. He caught his breath then snapped his gun up leveling it at the end of the street before him.

Alec bolted out and slide into position behind Cost without even panting. Cost let out an envious grumble and continued on into the building on his left. He kicked open the door and stepped in snapping his gun in four directions rapidly.

He had signaled all clear to Alec and continued in through the house Alec close behind him. They quickly swept down the hallway to the back of the apartment and out the back door. Neither was quite sure why they were being so cautious, it just felt like they should. They continued down the alleyway with no interruptions but for the constant sound of mortar and artillery fire. They reached the end and continued to rendezvous point Alpha finding it to be an auto shop.

Cost went up the three steps to the door and knocked as Alec covered the streets. The door was answered by a nervous looking man who seemed to be in his late thirties about Cost's age.

"Are you Zephid?" Cost asked looking in the cracked door.

"That is I, who is asking?" the nervous man replied

"Banshee,"

Zephid's eyes went wide and he looked around as if expecting someone else to come down the deserted war raved street at that exact moment.

"Expecting someone," Cost asked tapping Alec's shoulder and stepping inside. Alec slowly rose and followed. Zephid nervously closed the door behind them.

"There are only two of you?" Zephid seemed suspicious.

Cost turned his head over toward the small man the tint of his visor hiding his face, "yeah is that a problem, or are you gonna tell us where we have to go?"

Zephid was their first rendezvous he would direct them to Eritrea Defense Force (EDF) contact and thus their first contract.

"Ah, yes down to business, very good," Zephid stammered, the two could tell he did not enjoy his current occupation, "you will be needing to go downtown threw a revolutionary held area of the city to the EDF."

Alec had not spoken up until this point in the conversation, he made his first remark as sarcastic as possible, "How do we find the EDF once we've passed through the revolutionary held territory?"

Zephid looked at Alec shocked, as if he had assumed the man was a mute, "Just follow the artillery fire, it'll lead right to them."

"Their bombing their own city," Cost muttered disgusted.

"Well, then let's get the hell outa here," Alec said pulling his rifle off his back and walking towards the door. He was stopped by the sound off foot steps outside and then the unmistakable sound of an AK-47 cocking.

Cost had also heard the sound of the rifle and pulled his pistol out of his holster and snapped it at Zephid's head.

"Say a word and your dead," Cost growled, while slowly turning his head to face the small now petrified man.

Alec looked through the door's peephole and counted quickly, he hand signaled Cost, _7 men. 5 rifles. 1 RPG. 1 LMG._

Cost signaled back, _you upstairs. me left window._

Alec slunk down through the home's living room and up to the second floor. He snuck up the single narrow flight of stairs, and crawled over to a front window on the right side. He stuck his head a fraction of an inch over the window sill and pick targets, "_first the RPG, and then the squad leader, then I'll go for the LMG… if Cost hasn't already kill'em._"

He tapped gently on the floor twice and waited. He received a double knock in turn and pulled up his rifle leveling it out the window and centering the scope on the solider with an RPG and held his breath.

The muffled thud of the silence round from Alec's 416 was barley herd as the RPG soldier dropped his weapon and fell. The second Alec had taken his shot a barrage of light machine gun fire cut through the remaining six soldiers. Alec had only time for one more shot before Cost had leveled the whole squad.

Alec then cautiously headed down stairs, the enemy was dead but he was still wary. Cost had pinned Zephid against a wall. The short nervous man was now bleeding out of a leg wound, and muttering apologies in between his cries of, "please don't kill me,"

"Shut up," Alec snapped, silencing the man without even raising his voice.

Then Cost began, "Who were they, why did they want us dead, and why did then know we were here,"

Zephid was beside himself with fear, "revolutionaries, they came to me not too long before you did and told me to keep you here as long as I could, they threatened to kill me,"

"Why do they want us dead?" this was Jeremy.

"I don't know all I know is they were tipped off by someone outside of their own organization,"

"So one of our players in this theater is dirty," Alec mused, "Glad I took this job, people want me dead because I entered their country, super,"

"Eh, comes with the territory," Cost grumbled back.

The two opted to take the back door out this time and continued on forgetting about their first contact as they left him as he was, alive but wounded, and continued on threw the ruins of the city of Asmara.

The two stopped a few blocks down to report in so they simultaneously pressed the sides of their helmets activating their comm. links.

"Banshee reporting in," Alec muttered into the microphone implanted in his helmet, "tower do you read."

"Loud and clear boys how the weather in Africa," an overly cheerful voice answered over the other end.

"Hot, and dry," Cost grumbled, "status: no wounded, objective one complete moving on to contact in EDF, oh and by the way, we got ambushed by a group of revolutionaries."

"Yeah, we know, you handled them why are you complaining?"

"Cause we shouldn't have had to," Alec muttered, "smartass."

"I heard that…tower out."

"Now I think she's mad at you, Alec," Cost mused, "you're losing any chance you have with her,"

"Whatever gramps" Alec grumbled, "let's get going RV point bravo is a few miles east of here, might I suggest some wheels."

"How bout that," Jeremy pointed to an old beaten up pickup truck.

"What you mean that knockoff Chevy p-o-s?"

"Beats walking," with that Cost strode over to the car and pulled himself in to the driver's seat and started the old truck up.

Alec muttered something about the lack of style in his line of work and climbed in the passenger's seat. They started off using their GPS Maps to make their way but soon found them useless due to the obvious boarder line between rebel and EDF territory a matter of yards down a side street they passed.

Jeremy pulled an 180o doughnut and sped for the small chain link gate. He floored the junked up pickup and revved the engine. Guards fired upon them or just dove out of the barreling trucks way. They crashed through the gate casing as much damage on the Eritrean army's side as the rebel's.

The soldiers were on them in a second leveling rifles at the pair of privet contractors. Alec and Cost and Alec flashed their PMC badges at the infuriated soldiers who then waved them threw. The two men were directed along a dusty road similar to the one on the revolutionaries' side yet without the masses of debris. They continued along the road until they reached a large building that looked like it had once been a school but due to many a reinforcement it now looked nothing like it's past self.

The pair of mercenaries stopped their truck and stepped out with their rifles in hand, they didn't quite trust their current hosts. Alec and Jeremy were met by a Corporal and he led them into the outpost and down a hallway and then into a room which looked to have once been a teacher's lounge, ping pong table and all.

A tall impressive looking General greeted them with a handshake and a, "Welcome to my camp, I am General Menda Nomfumee if there is anything you would like you need only to ask."

The two contractors had removed their helmets at this point and Cost drawled, "Got any work?"

"Ah yes, very good, right down to business. Well I may have some contracts to give you and if you are loyal to us and our cause there may be some benefits to your service."

"Whadaya got?" Jeremy's interest seemed peeked.

"Well we have a bit of a revolution on our hands I'm sure you know but what you might not know is how the rebel's pay for their conquest,"

"Right you are we have no idea, should we?" Cost remained civil.

"Yes, they use drugs, selling, buying, and manufacturing. These drugs are poisoning our youth…"

Alec cut him off, "we don't want any sob stories we just want to know what you'll pay us to do so we can do it and get some money."

"Ah yes, this would not be a problem for our youth," Alec guffawed the general looked peeved but continued on, "if they just kept their drugs on their side of the city but they don't. Their drug runners make daily trips back and forth across the border. We know of a shipment coming over the boarder today. Make sure that shipment never reaches its destination."

"No problem, where will they be crossing?"

"My lieutenant will give you the details pay him a visit before you leave he's right outside, good day."

The two men walked out of the office and found the lieutenant with no problems. He gave them both a file on a thumb drive for their PDA's and offered them a jeep to get around in.

They got into their new ride and as soon as they were on their way Alec said, "I don't know how I know but all I can say is that guy is a prick,"

"Eh, I've done work with him at first he seems like a prick but then you get to know him and you realize, he's a complete bastard," Cost replied, "might as well report in, you know?"

"Yeah, Yeah I got it," Alec muttered flicking his comm. link on.


	3. Transmission 2:1 First Payday

Transmission 2

Transmission 2.1: First Payday

The pair of contractors had now reached the city limits almost completely taken over by the desert, yet the wall still stood.

"Alec, check it out, we got a DPV heading for the boarder fast."

"Yeah I got 'im, should I take it out?"

"Nah, we can just intercept it, hold on kid."

Cost floored the jeep nearly causing Alec to flip out the back. They drove along the stone wall dividing the city looking for a probable breach point. None could be spotted for miles. The DPV was still coming on fast, head towards what seemed like a direct slam into the brick divider.

"Looks like this idiots gonna do our job for us," Alec smirked.

The small buggy was headed down a street at the end of which a conveniently placed flat bed truck had been angled like a ramp.

Alec's smirk was wiped from his face. "They got some guts I'll give 'em that," Cost chuckled.

The Desert Patrol vehicle, which they could now see had a two dirt bike entourage, had just seemed to activated a nitrous oxide system in their vehicle and shot off the ramp. Landing with a skid on the other side, the motorcycles did not follow. It seems not many would risk the death defying entry.

"Well, they don't act like regular drug runners, no one who drives coke around has those kinda balls"

"Let's go have a talk with them then, see what they really are transporting, take out the tires,"

Alec raised his rifle shooting two three shot bursts at the back left tire of the vehicle causing it to explode and sending the buggy in an uncontrolled spiral into a dune.

Driving over to the now crashed desert patrol vehicle Alec and Jeremy hopped out of their jeep and slowly approached the half burred vehicle. The driver's seat was empty Cost began to inspect the car as Alec searched the nearby area for the driver.

Alec climbed to the peak of the nearest dune and scanned the perimeter, "Cost, I don't quite know were the driver could have gotten to…"

"Found 'em Alec,"

Alec turned around to find a diminutive looking person holding a sawed-off shotgun to Cost's jugular vein. The person, presumable the driver of the crashed DVP, had a motocross style helmet on so Alec couldn't see their face, they also wore a pair of baggy desert fatigues with a white tank top.

The driver removed _her_ helmet and began shouting in French, Alec stared at the woman for a second before regaining his composure.

"Calm down, Calm down," Alec began to shout back.

"French for: what the hell did you do, why did you do that, you bastards!"

"Uh Alec, I don't think she knows English,"

"Tell me about it,"

"English? I know English," the woman began, "I know fuck you, you bastards, and what the hell!"

"Haha," Jeremy laughed, "Quite a mouth on this one eh, Alec,"

"Goofy assed old man,"

"Why do you ignore me," the woman was exasperated, "I kill him," she shoved her shotgun harder into Cost's neck,"

At that point Cost decided that enough was enough and grabbed the barrel pumping the gun twice effectively jamming the weapon. Then slamming the gun out of her hands and to the ground he leveled his rifle at the woman.

"What's in the car, Ma'am?" Cost asked pleasantly.

"Nothing,"

"Not many people have the guts to do that little stunt you pulled back their, what's so important that you'd risk that jump for it?"

"Nothing,"

"Fine, then you can walk to the nearest gas station to get you DPV towed, I think it is a few miles that way," Jeremy pointed toward the Eritrean base of operations.

"No, no, I'll help you! You mercenaries? You need guns? Ammo? I got it!"

She walked the back of opening a steel lock box about the size of a sedan's trunk. Inside were boxes and boxes of ammo, a myriad of pistols, a few assault rifles and a rocket propelled grenade launcher as well as a pair of Dragunov SVDs.

"Hoho ho, look what we got here, gun runner?"

"Drugs my ass," Alec muttered.

"Eliot Boulevard, at your service," the woman said beginning to act professionally

"You can call me Jeremy Cost, and my friend is Alec… well I don't know how to say his surname but don't worry no one does,"

Mrs. Boulevard chuckled as Alec replied, "Ha Ha your fucking hilarious old man,"

"So," Mrs. Eliot began suddenly that charming sales person, "what can I interest you boys in?"

"Nothing today ma'am, we gotta go tell the Eritrean military we can't complete the contract, due to the difference in details given and details proven," Cost said pulling Alec away from the Dragunov which he was eyeing hungrily.

"We'll just help you outa this here dune and you'll be on your way," Colt said as Alec grabbed the winch from their jeep and attached it to the rear of the previously mentioned crashed vehicle.

Cost, now in the diver's seat of their jeep, flipped the car into reverse and punched the gas petal pulling the light fast DPV out of the hill of sand.

Soon Mrs. Boulevard was on her way again but not before giving the pair a number they could contact her at if they ever needed ammo or weapons and saying, "The Peoples Democratic Liberation Front of Eritrea thanks you," The contract with the Eritreans, now useless in value compared to an alliance with the gun runner, was essentially voided. the pair of mercs called the number given to them to contact General Menda Nomfumee's lieutenant and told him they had fail and not to bother wiring the money to their account.

They asked if the Eritreans would need anything else done and their response was a curt, "you've proven your uselessness, no contracts,"

"What a dick," Alec snidely remarked sitting in the passenger's seat of their jeep with his feet propped up on the dash.

"Fiona? You get all that?" Cost checking in with Delta tower

"Yeah, nice work we can always use a good ammo-dump-in-the-field, too bad about the money though,"

"Yeah what ever, you got and ideas for work?" Alec cut in.

"Well," the clacking of a computer keyboard could be herd from over the comm. line,"The UN has a few contracts out as well as the Ethiopians and Iranians but if you got to one of them the others will probably get pissed off,"

"Eh, comes with the job," Cost began, "Who we gonna piss off first?"

"Well," Fiona's finger' worked at blinding speeds on her keyboard.

"The UN is shy about using contractors but they got a ton of cash to throw away, Iran has got local military superiority and the air essentially dominated so air strikes and heavy support from them, then again no one likes Iran, the Ethiopians have the most ground forces in the area and can supply local reinforcements, but the Eritreans will hate you for going to them,"

"Let's get the UN a little squeamish, I could use some cash," Alec mused.

"Yeah, you could hardly keep your tongue in your mouth once you saw that SVD," Cost commented with a grin.

"Fuck you gramps,"

"Be nice you too, I'll send you the co ordinance of the Un HQ,"

The GPS maps on the two merc's heads up displays lit up with a little glowing blue dot marking the UN outpost, and two other yellow ones marking individual UN contacts.

"Yo, Cost, check out Sgt. Masterson, he's only four km,"

"Yeah lets hit him up then head to the HQ I could use a meal,"

They had already at this point started driving towards their contact, their jeep hoping over sand dunes with uneasy rumbles emitting from the engine.

"This piece of crap better hold together," Alec muttered.

The pair reached the small Eritrean village in which their first contact was performing a patrol run and was contacted by Fiona. The privet contractors pulled their vehicle to a skid stop a few yards outside the village and stepped out. They kept their weapons holstered, the locals were skittish as is, and strode into the small town and instantly found who they would be doing business with.

Sergeant Masterson was standing under a small lean-to attached to a hummer's roof leaning into the trunk looking over a series of maps with a corporal. They approached the two officers and were stopped by a burly privet who gave them a stony glare threw his aviator sunglasses. Cost and Alec removed their helmets revealing them selves to the guard. It was then that Sgt. Masterson noticed them, and called them over. Cost walked over Alec following grinning at the muscular privet.

"P.C. Jeremy Cost at your service," Jeremy extended his hand and Masterson took it shaking firmly.

"Alec Drnovic," Alec unenthusiastically offered his hand and shook the Sergeant's with about the quarter of the vigor he received.

"Well lets get down to business," Masterson began, "We got a medical supply convoy on its way passing threw a few of the local villages, it needs an escort, job pays twenty five hundred per village,"

"Shit that's a lot, expecting trouble?" Cost probed.

"Yeah, the PDLFE rebels are expected to raid the shipment, they need the supplies bad." The sergeant said in a matter of fact tone.

"Heh, nice," Alec smirked.

"You accept?" Masterson said ignoring Alec.

"Yeah, why the hell not?" Cost said offering his hand to the sergeant for a second time.

The two men left the UN sergeant feeling slightly uneasy about their current situation.

"We're gonna piss off the PDLFE when we open fire on their men," Alec pointed out the obvious.

"I no,"

"I don't really think a seventy five hundred payday is quite worth the loss of the ability to use the money to buy weapons and supplies,"

"I no,"

"Fucking wars, everyone hates each other," Alec was now hopping into the passenger's seat Cost had already started up the car.

"I no,"

The Blazing white hummer flew over the small dirt track, it couldn't even be called a road, towards the second village on their trip. The first village had gone without a hitch the supplies given to some middle class activists trying to save a war torn country and they had left without PeDLiFE anywhere to be seen.

The hazy horizon seemed to be actually melting away from Alec's view when he first saw them. It seemed to be a herd of gazelle or the like on the horizon yet soon the unmistakable roar of dirt bike engines cut through the thin dry air.

"Hey you two," A voice from the medical hummer rang over the comm., "yall hear that?"

"Yeah we'll handle it you just get to that village," Jeremy causally said over the radio.

"Rodger," The lead hummer sped up and soon drifted ahead of the mercenaries' jeep.

Alec swung up through the gunner hatch and cocked the mounted pkm machine gun, raised it up, and fired a few warning shots. The motorcycles revved their engines approaching the separating convoy even faster.

"Cheeky bastards," Cost laughed.

Alec leveled the gun at a lead bike, the driver holding a Molotov cocktail in his hand, and shot the man causing his flammable brew to shatter on the ground sending fire careening into a nearby rider. He then let loose the salvo of rapid fire tearing through the unprotected riders sending them flying and careening in every which way. One bike's front tire exploded sending the rider forward to land on the ground with a sickening crunch.

The horde of bikers were now gaining, if thinned, on the hummer. The medical transport was nearly out of view, the vehicle's form lost to the writhing waves of heat on the horizon. Alec saw the glint of fire to his left, the rider had a Molotov ready to throw. The small fire bomb flipped through the air towards Alec, he reached out and grabbed the cock tail sending it flying back into the biker's face sending him careening off his bike. Only two riders remained and Alec swung the machine gun back to meet them. When he pulled the trigger the gun made an empty clicking noise.

"Fuck outa ammo," Alec yelled, the last rider gaining on either side of the hummer.

"Oi, Alec," Jeremy yelled from the driver's seat, "Open the back doors,"

Alec slide down through the gunner's hatch and flung open both doors as Jeremy gripped the emergency break and yanked it back. The two reaming bikers rode straight into the now open doors knocking them off and crashing their bikes.

As Alec slid back into the passenger's seat his cell phone began to ring.

"Yellow?" he answered.

A berating of angry French profanity too rapid to translate spewed out from the ear piece so loud Jeremy could hear it.

" Eliot, is that you? Listen we couldn't help it," Alec paused for a second, "yeah, yeah I know, I tried not to hit them," another pause, "Well that was his fault he hocked the thing at me first," Alec rolled his eyes, "uh huh, third degree huh? Wow, well tell him I'm sorry, yeah, I gotta go, yeah,… yes, bye,"

"God, what a bitch," Alec muttered.

"Heh, little too much to handle champ?"

"Shut up old man,"

The pair sped on rout meeting up with the medical convoy at the next village on their route. The next two villages passed without incident.

End Transmission 2.1: Players

Payment: $7,500


	4. Transmission 2:2 Making Amends

Transmission 2

Transmission 2.2: Making Amends

"Good work boys," Fiona's voice rang over the comm.

"Yeah thanks fee, anything worth looking at?" Jeremy responded. He and Alec had left the village and headed back into the city hoping to find some contracts.

"The UN just updated their deck of 52, 17 heads downed, four A's, four K's, three Q's, and two J's left. I trust you don't care about the small fries,"

"Any Intel?" Alec questioned. They had ditched their hummer and were resting on a roof top overlooking the entire city from six stories up.

"The DLFE claims to know the location of the queen of hearts but you pissed them off, you could try to bribe them or…"

"What?" Jeremy never liked Fiona's "or…'s", he sighed out a puff of smoke and flicked his cigarette butt off the roof top.

"It says DLFE is interested in a merc, his name is Bledar Pernaska, he's an Albanian local contractor, done a few favors for the Eritreans,"

"Pissed off Elliot?" Alec smirked.

"No her husband, Luke, that guy knows how to hold a grudge," Fiona commented, "Best get searching boys he normally hangs out in some of the seedier of the upper market bars."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A small slosh of whiskey swirled around in a grimy glass in the hands of a short stout man with a prominently broken nose, a strip of bandage still across it, and an angsty look in his eyes. The outline of a sawed off double barrel shot gun was blatant in the loose folds of his shirt. His hair was heavily widows peaked and balding was visible despite to being buzzed short. His narrow face gazed around the room as if looking to make eye contact with anyone as to start a fight.

Alec sat back in a corner booth, his ballistic armor and helmet abandoned in a hummer outside, he now wore desert fatigues and a black tee-shirt advertising a skate board company. He had abandoned his rifles for a combat dagger hidden on the back of his belt.

"I'm in, and have a visual, skeevy looking bastard." He muttered into his slightly concealed ear piece.

"Good," a voice crackled back, "I'm in the back room ready,"

Jeremy had not ditched his armor and was there to ensure a safe recovery. His sawed off Benelli M4 at the ready he slowly cracked open the door to the storeroom behind the bar.

Alec started to get up slowly but stopped when a pair of deep colored men in militia regalia approached Bledar. Alec thought for a second and settled back down to watch.

"Mr. Pernaska, our mutual friends have a need of your presence,"

Bledar turned and responded with a vulgar gesture followed by, "our mutual friends can suck my balls,"

He received a stiff elbow to the solar plexus sending his to a knee. _These men are combat trained, better than any militia I've seen, _Alec thought getting up, _I gotta be careful_. He stumbled over to the trio yelling, "Bledar? Bledar it's you! What are you doing in this shit hole," he Russian accent flourishing.

"Huh? I don't know you," Bledar said, too drunk to take the hint.

"hey, buddy it's me!" Alec stammered, reaching Bledar, "Remember that bar in Barcelona, you owe me sixty fucking bucks!" Alec said bracing himself and slamming his head into Bledar's sending the Albanian to the floor. One of the two militia attempted to grab Alec by the arm but he grabbed the man's wrist twisting it back and breaking it then smashed the bottle he was holding over the man's head.

The other pulled a handgun and leveled it at Alec's head but before he could even pull back the hammer he hear an shot gun's cock and a cold metal barrel was pushed into his neck. The militia thought about dropping his gun but before he could the handgrip of the shotgun came down on his neck.

Jeremy scooped up the unconscious Albanian and threw him over a should as they walked out ignoring the bartender's indignant cries in Tigrinya. The pair flung the Albanian in the back seat and sped off.


End file.
